# Netanyahu escalates anti-Arab attacks after election > Netanyahu claims Arab parties cheated in election, faces backlash from Arab leaders. - Title: Netanyahu escalates anti-Arab attacks after election - Summary: Netanyahu claims Arab parties cheated in election, faces backlash from Arab leaders. Netanyahu accused Arab parties of voter fraud to block rival from power… - Keywords: benjamin netanyahu, israeli election, gadi einsock, arab joint list, raam, election fraud, israeli prime minister, news, world, Netanyahu, escalates, anti-Arab - Source: The Straits Times — https://straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/netanyahu-at-risk-of-losing-power-steps-up-attacks-on-israels-arab-parties - Published: 2026-10-29T14:16:18+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: benjamin netanyahu, israeli election, gadi einsock, arab joint list, raam, election fraud, israeli prime minister, news, world ## Netanyahu's election claim Netanyahu alleged on Oct 29 without evidence that Arab parties' election gains were driven by voter fraud. > Netanyahu alleged on Oct 29, without providing evidence, that Arab parties’ record gains in an election this week were driven in part by voter fraud ## Arab leaders reject fraud claims Arab leaders accused Netanyahu of incitement, calling his claims an orchestrated campaign to undermine election results. > This entire campaign is directed against Eisenkot, to prevent him, intimidate and scare him off forming a government that relies on external support from the Joint List or Ra’am ## Election results Netanyahu's bloc held a modest lead with 53 seats, but Arab parties projected 19 seats leaving rivals without power without broad Arab backing. > Parties representing israel’s twenty-one percent arab minority were projected to win an unprecedented nineteen seats ## Netanyahu's strategy Netanyahu aims to delegitimise Arab-Jewish cooperation to prevent rival from forming minority government with Arab support. > Netanyahu’s goal is "delegitimising any arab-jewish cooperation" ## Election probe underway Election officials probe fraud allegations but state election integrity was not "systematically compromised". > Israeli election officials said on oct twenty-ninth that there was a probe into fraud allegations, though the election’s integrity was not "systematically compromised" ## Arab parties respond Ra’am head Mansour Abbas called Netanyahu's campaign incitement against Arab citizens, stating nothing would come of it. > We have one message in response to the campaign of incitement and delegitimisation he is waging against arab citizens: nothing will come of it, because there is nothing there ## President Herzog's warning President Herzog urged investigation but warned against tarnishing Arab community's right to vote in democracy. > But even at a moment like this, we must not tarnish an entire community that sought to exercise its right to vote and take an active part in democracy ## Key takeaway Netanyahu accused Arab parties of voter fraud to block rival from power, but Arab leaders call his claims incitement.